Interchangeable top for initial or insignia rings, buttons, &amp;c.



No. 723,353. PATBNI'ED MAR. 24, 1903 .G. G. AGKBRMAN.

INTERGHANGBABLE TOP FOR INITIAL OR INSIGNIA RINGS, BUTTONS, 8w.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 10, 1902.

.110 MODEL.

l7 lo I l7 v 311.,

Ina E? I", 61 WITNESSES: INYENTORS BY V ATTOR N EY5.

I floor/39m fiwfllebzemmmm UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE G. ACKERMAN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

INTERCHANGEABLE TOP FOR lNlTlAlJ'OR INSIGNIA RINGS, BUTTONS, &c.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters'Patent No. 723.353, dated March 24, 1903. Application filed September 10.1902. Serial No. 122,828. No model.)

Be it known that I, GEORGE G. ACKERMAN,-

a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented and produced a new and useful Improvement in Interchangeable Tops for Initial or Insignia Rings, Buttons, &c.; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The objects of this invention are to facilitate the application or removal of an interchangeable top or insignia-carrying plate to or from a finger-ring, button, or similar article of jewelry or personal wear, to reduce cost of construction, to simplify the device without impairing its efliciency, and to obtain other advantages and results, some of which may be referred to hereinafter in connection with the description of the Working parts. i

The invention consists in the improved interchangeable top for insignia-rings, buttons, &c., and in the arrangements and combinations of parts, all substantially as set forth, and finally embraced in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a plan of a portion of a finger-ring, button, or other small article for practical use or ornament. Fig. 2 is an end view, and Fig.3 is a sectional view, of the same, the latter being taken on line of Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is a perspective view of a portion of the top detached from the frame. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the frame, showing one of the end walls in elevation. Fig. 6 is a plan of a certain bottom plate of the top, and Fig.7 is an end view of the same.

In said drawings, 10 indicates the framelike body portion of the article, which when serving in connection with a finger-ring is curved in end elevation to conform to the curvature of the finger, as indicated on an enlarged scale in Fig. 2. At the four sides of said frame-like body portion the same is provided with a rim 11, within the bounds of which is seated an interchangeable top 12, comprising the bottom plate 13, the faceplate 14, and the insignia 15.

The face of the plate 14, preferably a stone, may be highly polished or be otherwise orna mented, and the insignia is preferably an initial letter cut from gold or other metal, though it may be of other material, and it may be an emblem of a secret society or may have any other character. The stone may be perforated and the insignia may be held to the bottom plate by hollow rivets 16, extending through said stone to and through the bottom plate in any ordinary manner, the three parts 13 14 15 being thus firmly united and having a permanent relation.

The bottom plate at opposite ends is provided with teats or lugs 17, which are more or less resilient and are bent to lie at the opposite ends of the stone and to project a little therefrom to form catching-lips.

The inside walls of the raised rim are recessed or notched, as at 18 in Fig. 5, to receive the teats or lugs, the recesses or notches being suitably located to permit the teats to spring into holding or locking relation with the lips or stay projections 19 when the top 12 is pressed down into the frame. The rim is perforated at one end, as at 20, Figs. 2, 3, and 5, and is thus adapted to receive a pushpin or other tool (not shown) by which the adjacent teat or lug may be pressed back or inward away from catching engagement with the lip or stay projection 19.

The bottom plate 13 is curved or bent so that its opposite side edges 22 lie away from the back of the face-plate 14, and thus they form springs adapted to impinge on the bearings 23 of the body portion, so that the catching or looking teats will be held firmly up against the under side of the stay projection 19. When the resilient teat is pressed back away from catching engagement, the end of the top may be lifted by the finger-nail or finger from the frame, and the said top may then be removed from the ring or article and replaced by another of a difierently-characterized initial-or emblem.

When the parts described are assembled to gether, the catch does not appear to the view,

and the perforation is small and does not impair the appearance of the article to any material extent.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new is 1. The combination with the frame-like portion having perforated and notched end walls, of a top comprising the bottom plate, the faceplate and the insignia, joined together, the bottom plate having end teats or lugs adapted to enter the notches of the end walls, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination wit-h the frame-like portion having a perforated rim and stay projection, of a top having a face-plate and a bottom plate, the latter having a teat bent to lie at the end of said face-plate and enter into In testimony that I claim the foregoing I 30 have hereunto set my hand this 26th day of August, 1902.

GEORGE G. AOKERMAN. Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, RUssEL M. EVERETT. 

